I live in Sault Ste. Marie,…

I live in Sault Ste. Marie, sitting on Lake Superior and the St Mary’s river, which flows down into Lake Huron. The idea that our conservation authority will be lumped in with Sudbury and overseen by that office is absurd. We live at the junction of two major waterways and share those waters with the United States. In this political climate and with a view towards the preservation of our very important waterways, it is critical that our area is overseen by a local group, not someone four hours and hundreds of kilometres away. If disaster does strike and we need a quick response, wouldn’t it be better to have someone with local knowledge and local interests at heart to be the first response? I think these consolidations are just a way for the current government to force development at the expense of the environment they say they are trying to protect. If they really wanted to protect the waterways and ecosystems, they would ensure that local conservation authorities remained intact in order to respond quickly to issues and remain invested in the community. I’d rather not have my environment looked after by someone hundreds of kilometers away who likely does not care for us the way a local would.